National Republican., 1887-03-11
nm Of labor with which northern labor has


same as in the north, yet as rule the cost Of
labor as an element In southern production is
little, any, more than one.half the cost Of
ike labor at the north, and that this great iact
foreshadows competition ruinous 70 northern
industries, and with no corresponding benefit
to the cheap labor in the southern states. As
an illustration of the rapdity with which capi-
tai Is investing In the southern states i cite
an authoritative statement, recently given to
aS nine mponSs paSSS of hIs ne ySar tss % 5sS
| were invested from other states and c)un.
tries in southern enterprises chiefly manu-
to anticipate at least 'tii one hundred millions
thus invested as to the total for the year 1886
| When we consider that this sum is more than
facturipR capital in the United States, accord.
| Ing 70 the last census, the fact becomes OF
startling signifcance TO capital hxed in
| northern plants, and still moro so to northern
| laborers, operatives, and mechanics
Another fact should be comprehended also
| by The northern people, and that is the won
and industry observable oil other the SOUTH
| The traditional conception Of the southern
people is no longer true. new generation
natural advantages The war destroyed the
old form of patrician and ,semi-nilitlry
Which m9S to e
| cbastened by defeat the survivors Of the strug-
gle and the generation now upon the stage are
eagerly at work to rebuild their fortunes and
| restore the power and prestige Of their section
| of our common country by initiating and, II
possible, surprising all the conditions which
enabled the north to triumph in the mighty
| conflict. No one can witness this display of
fortitude In adversely and OF aggressive ,cour-
| pge, when there was room for despair, without
/ admiration. But all the more do these facts
demand the attention OF the north.
Their contemplation can occasion regret only
| in the breast of q common enemy OF both sec
| tons OF the country. But they point with
| unerrDg certainty 10 q coming competition
between the producers of both sections for the
1 m N artiplnQ
| consumption in comparison with which that
between American labor and the cheap pro-
% proieStve % tariff I @ or absolute % srohbtion. y % is the
| omnipresent and complete defense OF Ameri.
can labor AMI capital whenever threatened
with destruction BY the commodities Of lower
civilizations planted on foreign soils. But
here we find a cheaper production by a laborer
with fewer wants than our own upon which no
prohibition can be raised. On the contrary,
| every power Of the government. both state aud
national, Is or may be invoked for Its develop
| In this emergency what shall be done by
northern labor and by northern capital? The
| question has already been answered and is be.
| Ing answered by the owners OF great mass OF
the surplus which those already engaged In
the diversified industries, of the north, as we
have already seen, are planting in the south.
| where future profits may replace the inevitable
losses upon like investments in the north re-
sultipg IRON the coming competition:
a,rsady So IN Spetnion % in tc pors Se and nd Rbich
cannot be transferred to the more favorable
conditions Of the south, and whose owners
rious still Is this problem to northern labor,
| which must, as whole, live or die where IL Is
Capital can endure delay, may bo transferred
elsewhere or suffer absolute destruction even
before Its owner is reduced 10 the level OF ne.
cessity all the while occupied by the toiler for
his daily bread The laborer must have his
work every day, for he is hungry three times
every day. So are his wife ana their little ones.
Mr.. Blaine has recently called public atten.
tion to this relation between northern and
southern labor with his usual ability and
power, but no solution of the difficulty or re.
lief from coming calamities to the northern
laborer has been suggested. None can or
| ought to be suggested which will interfere
with the uplifting of laborers at the south or
with the rapid progress of that great section of
the country In wealth and power. In April;
believe the suggestion then made worthy OF
public attention, and accordingly will repro
duce the substance Of what was then said.
The late war was conflict between cheap
labor which cost the master little more than
its board and clothes under the institution OF
slavery and the intelligent, free highly civil
ized and consequently, highly paid labor of
| the north.
The war free the slaves 50 far the constitu
| tion and statutes were concerned, but LETT him
merely freed man-not free nian-ignorant,
unskilled, and, therefore, condemned to low
wages and poverty, and so ever since the ire
preesible conflict has continued between intel
ligcnce and ignorance, free labor and labor
still enslaved by yiguorance-cheap labor at the
south and labor better paid at the north Hith.
erto that competition has not been active.
But now new conditions are arising, and
throughout the SOUTH northern, and European
capital are developing that region Of wonder.
| ful and universal resources c,mprisIng one.
| third OF the territory of the nation. producing
all things which come from the soil. the forest.
and the mine. clo'e by abounding water
| powers with cheap transportation already pro-
vded, and all these combined with the rem lin.
ing factor of very chenp, labor and long ours,
. This state Of ,hingsis becoming more and
| nj N nd
| manufactures, free from NIL restrictions OF the
tariff and the like, which protect us from
,ninons foreign y &c Seompetitisonmthn Is. enloyins
: statcs-are already disputing with us our own
, markets and controlling them in many articles
of cotton wool. and iron, those OF the middle
| ern m0rket, to us so valuable, Is rapidly dis
appearing by supplying itself,
What does all this save cheap, because igno
rant, labor? Labor with long hours imposed
. | upon children as well ms adults; because labor
Is too ignorant and therefore too weak to de-
Northern manufacturers as well as la5orcrs
| will go to the wall In the end as surely as
though the tariff were wholly removed aud
; European production and Asint'c immigration
{ Nothing hut dense stupidity can fail to see
! that the manufacturing capital aud cities Of
New England and the north generally are
: doomed II they are to compete with the cheap
3 labor ofthe south, which is already becoming
4 skillfnl with the hand, although, untortu
|
l of the duties and In the exercise OF the powers
: Of citizenship. This condition comes only
with education, in the art of reading AM
writing and in the other common branches o
! knowledge, thus giving capacity to receive
9 the benefits of that great Instructor and pre-.
server Of the life OF republics-the press.
IL has become question, not OF extending
!. our markets. but OF preserving those we nov
: Lave; not OF preser, Ing our own In one line o
y production, but already in many lines, ant
r dustrv is threatened by this cheap labor of the
u south-the boot and the shoe maker, and tht
iron worker no less than the manufacturer ant
the operative in cotton and wool. II Is u quss
. tion OF preserving our vested capital and pros
! perity and of projecting the masses of orr pc,
g pie in reasonable hours OF continuous employ
4 ment with fair pay, which enable them I,
;. supply the wants of an advanced civilization
: To one who reflects upon the fact that po
!. upon the universal dilnsion OF intelligen',
9 among the people, the converse Is alsD ap
J. parent that so far as unity OF political IuriS
}; must be established throughout that llrisdc
r tion high and homogeneous standard OF in
). telligent thought and of moral action. Re
Q sulting from these conditions will be unior
J, nifty of individual power, which viii enabl,
a the producer In every path OF industry TO Sc
: cure ,i,, fir pay for the supply Of his wants =
= this general condition Of intelligence, and con
sequently, of industrial independence an'
:; equality throughout the country, the uatlonR
y education bill has been earnestly advocated b.
u those who have long fortseen, what is now 81
!, patent that politicians and statesmen ans
:, pstTiOls are sounding the alarm aud pressin.
Q home upon our people the importance OF uni
Q yeIsaliiuteligencc ana industrial training u
a the only remedy.
. Whist does this national education bill pro
n pose 10 DO? Not TO lessen the development u
y the south by any means: but. on the contrary
" to increase 1t. 1t proposes to make southern
labor and the southern masses more intelli
a gent and therefore more highly civilized; I
o create among their rapidly multiplying mi
lions Of both races q vast Increase Of tn
IS wants OF life which must be supplied, 50 TIM
= southern labor will consume, aud therefor